None of that Pootzly-Mootzly Stuff...

The first thing Suki encountered today was a ??? on the way out of Ben Ami, and I gently but firmly coaxed her on, determined not to get held up or manipulated by a stubborn golden retriever. It was not long before we were on our way again. The clicker and a tidbit or two seem to be a permanent fixture in my pocket, though I have been warned not to rely on this all the time. Suki is going to have to learn to cope with whatever it is that she doesn’t like.

Meanwhile, I have to learn to cope with others who don’t like us. The first thing I encountered when we left for town this morning was a woman at the bus stop who screeched, “You can’t sit here! I’m afraid of dogs!” . Sighing I told her to please stop shouting, that I had my dog close to me, and that she was harmless. I distanced myself as far from her as possible and Suki proved my point by lying down quietly.

We arrived in town and to Suki’s delight headed directly for the pet store. The owner, who knows me well, asked how things were going.

“You have to be more strict with her,” he said. "None of that pootzly-mootzly stuff.”

“I am strict with her,” I said. "I do everything according to what we learned. What makes you think I’m not strict with her?”

“I saw you crossing the street after you left here last time, and you didn’t make her sit down!”

“But she’s not supposed to sit down when we cross the street,” I replied. “She’s supposed to stop at the curb. And she does.” Is everyone an expert on techniques of operating a guide dog? How long will it take me to go crazy if I listen to everyone's suggestions? She's too fat, she's too thin, you're too strict with her, you're not strict enough... I'd rather trust my own instincts.

I wondered if perhaps there is a different policy between the two schools regarding the position a dog has to assume before crossing the road. We learned that you must stand in the starting position and take a step back, making sure the dog has a clear view to the right and left. How can the dog have a clear view if it is sitting?

I don’t believe it was my imagination that Suki stopped at the gate to the house where my accountant has his office. She has evidently committed that place to memory, too! These golden retrievers can be stubborn, but they certainly have a good memory.